Well after visiting this site for a little over a year, i decided its about time to give it a go…
I started with the template…
the dims end up at
6’
16 3/4" nose
16 1/4" tail
21" wide
and 12" tip to tip
i am happy with the shape, still might look to drop it down 2" to 5’10"
i was supposed to get a blank on thursday, but the driver for fiberglass florida forgot his key to get into the wharehouse at their other location, so after i wasted about 3 hours waiting and numerous phone calls, they finally told my of the problem. not to happy with fiberglass florida, and will be getting my blank from another shop…just a lack of customer service from them…i had planed to start hacking at the blank today but it was not to be…so looking at monday to make a trip up to jacksonville, fl to the surfsource to pick up a blank…
I should be updating this post as time goes on…
haven’t cut out the taili yet, gonna wait to see if i want to drop it down 2"
the outline…stood on it…and i liked what i saw…just thinking it might be 2" to long…(im 5’11" 170 in decent shape)
Finally got a blank and some supplies the other day; Safari Foam 6’5" fish blank, RR Epoxy (they only had the fast Hardner says it is 25 min workable time, guess it will be trial by fire on this one), and 11 yrds, 6oz 30" wide cloth. Still deciding about the fin system to use, and currently leaning toward glass-ons…
Started working the blank the other night, I got the outline done, and next step will be to work on the thickness…Here are some pics…
Checking the measurments after tracing:
The Cut:
Rough cut, I learned the closer you cut to your lines the less surform work and time saved…
Working the Surform…
Rocker:
Full length:
I stoped here for the night, I didn’t want to do too much at one time, I prefer to take my time, and let everything sink in.
I started with the surform, on the bottom of the board, and seems like this is gonna be a chore also, but I guess it could be called a labor of love…
When you go to glass, you may be surprised at how l-o-o-ong a time 25 minutes is. My recent experience has proven that 25 min is even time enough for severe error in judgement causing big f-up needed scrambling around doing sacraligeous things to your glass and still time left over to throw a little patch over the bald spot.
How do you expect to sand the hotcoat? Do you have a sander? If yes, why don’t use it to skin the foam? It will make the surform work easier. Good luck!
Another update as more work has been done and things are starting to take shape…
These pics are over several day…and nights…
I skined the blank using a 6 1/2" hand planer and 60grit sandpaper on a 1" x 6" x 12" piece of scrap wood, a lot of work but came out nice…the only trick was setting the depth…
you can see my high-tech lighting system in the pic below…
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Started on the Railbands, this was a trick trying to get the angle on either side the same…I eventually gave out and deciding on calling it personality instead of prefection…
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After getting the rails mostly done, it was time to work the tail…I can say I will never look at a swallow tail thw same…
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And a pic of my nifty shaping stands, thry a sand bag on the bottom of each horse and she is stable as can be…
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More to come late…will be final sanding and smoothing out over the weekend and hope to start glassing soon…
A quick questions thou…To what grit should I sand the blank?
After glassing the bottom 1st, You flip to the top, and you sand down where the rail laps are on the deck? Now during this sanding is it ok to sand into the weave on the glass or how do you get it smooth, I always heard don’t sand into the weave, But I am thinking they are talking about the hotcoat?
After glassing the bottom 1st, You flip to the top, and you sand down where the rail laps are on the deck?
I recommend watching the JC Glassing 101 DVD before glassing your first board. I am about to glass my first board, and have found that it answered a lot of my questions.
According to the video you flip to the top, and sand the rough stuff with 100 grit. Use a sanding block, and sand just enough so that there won’t be a bump where the lap ends when you do the top lam.
I’m not an expert though. I’m just relaying what I saw on the video.
All done, Finished the board back at the end of April, and have been enjoying it too much…
Have you ever had a board that lets you surf the way you imagin yourself surfing…
well this board does it for me…
It has held up in head high + steep waves, to mushy little knee high waves…
anybody on the east coast of florida can attest we have had a wide varity of surf over the month of may…
its a great feeling paddeling out in the line up and have a grom say “man that is a sick board”…then to let him try it, and he asks where i bought it
or all the questions i get about how i like the retro fish…
I love it…the thing is loose and fast…long drawn out carves…just a feeling of style…makes sections i never could before…hang out with my longboard friends on the outside…or move to the inside shorepound…it can handle anything…
it took a few sessions on it to get the feel…i had kooked a few waves just trying to find the sweet spot…its the smallest board i have ridden in 20yrs…
This is the kind of thread Swaylock’s is all about. Having the desire to make your own board, going through the steps, maybe having some problems along the way, finishing it and finding out it SHREDS!!! Does’nt get better than that. Good work bro, stoked for you.
